Solidarity economy and Social finance: a finance to serve which political project?

"What is the role of solidarity finance initiatives in the development of local solidarity economy networks? ". This is the initial question that has guided our research on the relationship between the development of... [ view full abstract ]

"What is the role of solidarity finance initiatives in the development of local solidarity economy networks? ". This is the initial question that has guided our research on the relationship between the development of solidarity economy initiatives and solidarity-based finance. We are looking for characterizing the role that solidarity finance can play in the development of solidarity economy initiatives, taking the territory as a privileged level of analysis to understand this interaction. And then, we try to understand the consequences of these interactions on the local economic dynamics. Through a crossed analysis between France and Brazil, we can bring some elements and discuss on how the political dimension interferes in this relationship. The experience of community development banks in Brazil, in contrast with institutionalized solidarity finance in France, shows that a coherence between solidarity-based finance and the solidarity-based economy is more relevant on the territory if the political dimension is integrated into its initiatives.